Abilify alone for bipolar mixed episodes?

*I blame any incoherent ideas on the drugs I'm on.

So, when I finally get my first dosage of abilify, my body decides to crash. I caught cold - fluctuating fever, body pain, headache and nausea.

I was prescribed abilify (6mg). Only abilify. That's all. Doc says it's (my condition, that is) rapid cycling with mixed episodes. My question to you all: what kind of experiences did you have with abilify? If any at all. I understand that abilify might suit a particular person and others not. Also, I ran a search on internet and seems like abilify alone is used for rapid cycling mixed episodes treatment. Have you ever been prescribed abilify alone?

I had recently moved out of one dorm to another in college campus, as a result, I was really tired. Body pain and stuff. The thing is that my timing of first dosage of abilify was wrong. I caught cold on the night I took abilify, and crashed horribly. I have stopped it for a while on doctors advice since I'm on whole lot other antibiotics and pain killers.

I was wondering if it's possible to have severe (in terms of intensity) side effects of abilify?
Like nausea, a really bad headache and body pain?

*trigger warning* Also, I've been having suicidal thoughts a lot. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm in my right mind not to do anything harmful, but, thinking about it gives me some kind of temporary relief. As in, there's an alternative to end all of this. I'd really like to get rid of this, though.

2 years Before I was diagnosed with bipolar 1, I was hospitalised after starting antidepressants and diagnosed with psychosis nos. If I think back it was probably a mixed-mood psychosis.

I was given respiridol but this had some very bad side effects (it was as though I had had a stroke) so my medication was changed to abilify. I was not on this alone, because the pdoc then gave me effexor (SNRI antidepressant) in combination with the abilify. I put on half my body weight again. Couldn't stop eating junk food.

I was on this combination for about 15 months when I dropped the abilify. At this point I started to develop tardive dyskinesia in my hands. My fingers would just move and fidget in this repetitive pattern all the time. I could stop it, but then they would just go back to moving again. I am a classically trained pianist. I have well developed neural pathways to my hands and I believe that's why the medication affected my hands so much. I could play the piano, but when there was a break in the music or I was studying a passage, my hands would start up again. Now, six years later, the 'habit' is not so bad. I only do it when really anxious.

I dropped the effexor suddenly about six months afterwards, then developed a manic episode and was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar 1. I was stabilised on lithium and citalopram, but never truly stable, then developed another manic episode a couple of years later, after an overseas trip. I was given seroquel with my lithium this time. It is extremely sedating, and I put back on all the weight I'd lost on an overseas trip.

I have never responded well to any antipsychotic drugs, and side effects have been bad. I believe they are well tolerated in general though. I guess if you have intolerable side effects, make sure you tell your doctor because there are many options out there. In particular I have learned the importance of slow tapering when starting and stopping a medication.

I took Abilify alone for a very short period of time. I only took 2 mg, but I got akathisia. I had to stop taking it. At the time, I had been diagnosed with mood disorder NOS, but it does treat bipolar, depression, and schizophrenia, from what I've heard. Someone I met in the hospital took it, and they swore by it. I just didn't have the best experience.

I took it in combination with; valproate, clonazepam, and ativan for mixed BP2 and it caused extreme suicidal thoughts. That seems to be an uncommon side effect so I was pulled off of it very quickly, although I have been told by a wide array of people of their positive experiences with the drug and it's anti-depressent effects despite being an anti-psychotic.

I am on it with other things too and am on 20mg but I find it really good and it has helped me a lot since it has been added in- both with mood issues (including mixed states) and with psychosis. There is a possibility it is the culprit for my restless legs and I sometimes get nausea with it but this is infrequent and the RLS may be due to quetiapine not aripiprazole - psych is not sure. I know all ppl are different but I have had good experiences with it in general

Cracked

First of all, thanks for the replies, guys! I'll be seeing the doc tomorrow, again, and discuss all of it, again.

And, bipolarbirdie! Thank you so much for the detailed reply!

bipolarbirdie wrote:I was on this combination for about 15 months when I dropped the abilify. At this point I started to develop tardive dyskinesia in my hands. My fingers would just move and fidget in this repetitive pattern all the time. I could stop it, but then they would just go back to moving again. I am a classically trained pianist. I have well developed neural pathways to my hands and I believe that's why the medication affected my hands so much. I could play the piano, but when there was a break in the music or I was studying a passage, my hands would start up again. Now, six years later, the 'habit' is not so bad. I only do it when really anxious.

I dropped the effexor suddenly about six months afterwards, then developed a manic episode and was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar 1. I was stabilised on lithium and citalopram, but never truly stable, then developed another manic episode a couple of years later, after an overseas trip. I was given seroquel with my lithium this time. It is extremely sedating, and I put back on all the weight I'd lost on an overseas trip.

I have never responded well to any antipsychotic drugs, and side effects have been bad. I believe they are well tolerated in general though. I guess if you have intolerable side effects, make sure you tell your doctor because there are many options out there. In particular I have learned the importance of slow tapering when starting and stopping a medication.

Thanks, I'll see the doc again tomorrow and discuss about it.

gratteciel wrote:I took Abilify alone for a very short period of time. I only took 2 mg, but I got akathisia. I had to stop taking it. At the time, I had been diagnosed with mood disorder NOS, but it does treat bipolar, depression, and schizophrenia, from what I've heard. Someone I met in the hospital took it, and they swore by it. I just didn't have the best experience.

Solovyov wrote:I took it in combination with; valproate, clonazepam, and ativan for mixed BP2 and it caused extreme suicidal thoughts. That seems to be an uncommon side effect so I was pulled off of it very quickly, although I have been told by a wide array of people of their positive experiences with the drug and it's anti-depressent effects despite being an anti-psychotic.

CrackedGirl wrote:I am on it with other things too and am on 20mg but I find it really good and it has helped me a lot since it has been added in- both with mood issues (including mixed states) and with psychosis. There is a possibility it is the culprit for my restless legs and I sometimes get nausea with it but this is infrequent and the RLS may be due to quetiapine not aripiprazole - psych is not sure. I know all ppl are different but I have had good experiences with it in general

Cracked

Thanks, guys, for the quick replies! I'm really grateful to you all!

-- Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:54 am --

Oh, and a quick update - I've been feeling really good since yesterday. Not the hypo mania, but, a normal good feeling. But, I was laughing for no reason, today, lol.

I think it was all due to abilify! I had suicidal thought at least three times. I still have body pain all over the body, but, I think it's not that severe. The cause might be stress or depression, but, then again, there's nothing to be stressed about, really. Ah, so confusing. Anyway, hopefully, doc will understand!

Keep in there! It's often to differentiate between symptoms, as well cause, effect, and external exacerbation. Try to maintain the critical analysis you already seem to be skilled at without letting it consume you or cause unnecessary stress. The last week I've been constantly evaluating my behavior due to fear of spiralling into hypomania from psychostimulants until I realized that it was beginning to cause undue anxiousness and stress.

Please keep us updated and hopefully you and your PDoc will be able to find a combination that works successfully for you and your lifestyle

Cheers

I gotta watch this thread as my pdoc will be switching me over to ablify in the next week. I refused to go back on lithium and my pdoc willing to work with me suggested we try ablify. I am bipolar rapid cycler with psychosis.

KillBytes wrote:I gotta watch this thread as my pdoc will be switching me over to ablify in the next week. I refused to go back on lithium and my pdoc willing to work with me suggested we try ablify. I am bipolar rapid cycler with psychosis.

Hi! So, what has it been like? Did you finally start on Abilify?

Im on 10 mg abilify alone for 2 months now. When I first started taking it I slept for 16 hrs for like 3 days! Terrible restlessness and anxiety followed by insomina. For the past 2 weeks its plateaued & now im feeling a lot better